Since June of 2004, the all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation has allocated 3% of net proceeds as an Emergency Grant Fund.  While the emergency addressed does not have to be catastrophic, the source of the need must be an act of nature (flood, fire, earthquake, tornado, etc.) or moral indignation (theft, vandalism, despotism, terrorism, or war). Greater attention will be given to emergencies which have already received press coverage, both as one means of confirming the need and so that the Foundation’s resources can add to existing momentum.

Disbursements from the fund, which are outside of the Foundation’s regular competitive process, are not intended to resolve such issues completely, in part because the given needs so far exceed what the Foundation could fund. Instead, these Emergency Grants are an attempt to help bring attention to immediate, dire needs and, thereby, to encourage donations directly to the impacted program from the community of Phish fans.

Emergency Grants are made on the basis of nomination rather than application, and nominations are neither solicited nor accepted on any regular basis, but made at the discretion of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Additionally, the demonstrable total need must far exceed the maximum grant size in the Foundation’s competitive applications process ($10,000).

Previous Emergency Grants have included the following responses:

  • A fire in the Williams Township School auditorium, in NC (1/9/04)
  • Vandalism at the Detroit HS for the Performing Arts, in MI (2/7/04)
  • Theft and vandalism at the East LA Art Center, in CA (9/4/10)
  • Storms and tornadoes affecting 11 schools in 7 states (9/5/11)
  • Flooding after Hurricane Sandy of five schools in 3 states (3/5/13)
  • Four hurricanes (including Katrina) impacting 12 schools, 2 nonprofits, & 8 musician support groups in 6 states (10/3/05)
  • Fire damage to an elementary school and community center in Loma Prieta, CA (9/5/16)
  • Flooding of three high schools in southern Louisiana (9/25/16)
  • Flooding of the Herbert Hoover Show Choir in WV (11/30/16)
  • Fire affecting a high school band in Clement, FL (9/16/19)
  • COVID Relief grants totaling $105,000 (5/6/20 thru 9/11/20)
  • Flooding at at youth center in Columbus, Ohio (3/9/21)
  • Hurricane damage in the  Terrebonne Parish School District in Houma, LA (6/17/22)